NFL: SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 3 – Analyzed SportsAnalyzed Sports

NFL: SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 3

The ATLANTA FALCONS improved to 3-0 with a 39-28 come-from-behind win at Dallas. The Falcons outscored the Cowboys 14-0 in the fourth quarter and are the first team in NFL history to start 3-0 after trailing in the fourth quarter of each game.

Atlanta running back DEVONTA FREEMAN rushed for 141 yards with three touchdowns and Falcons wide receiver JULIO JONES had 12 catches for 164 yards with two touchdowns. The Falcons are the third team in NFL history to have both a rusher with at least 100 yards with three touchdowns and a receiver with at least 150 yards with two touchdowns in the same game. The other two teams to accomplish the feat are the 1982 San Diego Chargers (JAMES BROOKS and WES CHANDLER, December 20, 50-24 win over Cincinnati) and 2001 St. Louis Rams (MARSHALL FAULK and TORRY HOLT, December 30, 42-17 win over Indianapolis).

Jones has 34 receptions, the most in NFL history by a player in his teams’ first three games to start a season. He is also the first player in league annals to record at least 135 receiving yards in each of his team’s first three games.

The ARIZONA CARDINALS defeated San Francisco 47-7. Arizona had two interception-return touchdowns (JUSTIN BETHEL, 21 yards andTYRANN MATHIEU, 33 yards) and a safety in the victory. The Cardinals are the first team since the 1945 Green Bay Packers (October 7, 57-21 win over Detroit) to have two interception-return touchdowns, a safety and score at least 40 points in a game.New England quarterback TOM BRADY completed 33 of 42 passes (78.6 percent) for 358 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 118.1 passer rating in the Patriots’ 51-17 win against Jacksonville. He has 401 career touchdown passes and joined PEYTON MANNING (533), BRETT FAVRE (508) and Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (420) as the only players to throw 400 touchdown passes.

The game marked the 31st time the Patriots have scored at least 40 points with Brady as the starter, the most such starts by any QB in NFL history. Brady, who has nine touchdowns and no interceptions this season, also joined Manning (2010, 2013) and DON MEREDITH (1966) as the only players in NFL history to pass for at least nine touchdowns with no interceptions in the first three games of a season.

Oakland safety CHARLES WOODSON had six tackles and a game-clinching interception with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Raiders’ 27-20 win at Cleveland. Woodson has recorded an interception in 18 consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DARRELL GREEN (19 seasons) as the only players to accomplish the feat.

Raiders rookie wide receiver AMARI COOPER had eight catches for 134 yards against the Browns. Cooper, who had 109 receiving yards last week against the Ravens, joins DE SEAN JACKSON (2008) as the only NFL rookies in the past 30 years with two 100-yard receiving games in their team’s first three games.

Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. GREEN had 10 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns, including the seven-yard game-winning score with 2:10 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Bengals’ 28-24 win at Baltimore. Green is the second player in NFL history with 10+ catches, 225+ receiving yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning TD in the fourth quarter or overtime in the same game (MILES AUSTIN on October 11, 2009 vs. Kansas City). Green’s 227 receiving yards are the second-highest single-game total in franchise history (CHAD JOHNSON, 260 yards on November 12, 2006 vs. San Diego).Philadelphia’s DARREN SPROLES had a punt-return touchdown (89 yards) and a rushing touchdown (one yard) in the Eagles’ 24-17 win at the New York Jets. It marked the second time in his career in which Sproles had both a punt-return touchdown and a touchdown run in the same game (November 10, 2014). He is the fourth player in NFL history to record multiple games with both a punt-return touchdown and a rushing touchdown, joining OCKIE ANDERSON, CURLY ODEN and Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS.

Sproles is the only player in NFL history with at least 25 receiving touchdowns (27), 15 rushing touchdowns (18) and five punt-return touchdowns (six).

Seattle rookie TYLER LOCKETT returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown in the Seahawks’ 26-0 win over Chicago. Lockett, who had a 57-yard punt-return touchdown in Week 1, is the second rookie in NFL history (TONY GREEN, 1978) to have both a punt-return touchdown and a kickoff-return touchdown in his team’s first three games to start a season. Be Sociable, Share!Tweet